The agency is predominantly focused on helping boats and people who get into trouble on the water but also passes on information about suspected criminality.

Ministers decided that the new plane was needed to help the more than 20 helicopters already covering the border.

The Jetstream 41 Turboprop will be based at Humberside airport, which is about 20 miles south of Hull, and can carry up to 20 people. Normally, it would be manned by a crew of four.

It can travel a maximum speed of 295kts – almost double the 155kts top speed of the Coastguard’s quickest helicopter – and can fly as high as 26,000ft.

The plane can also cover 891 miles before having to touch down, while the Sikorsky S-92 helicopters used by the service only have a range of 250 miles.

A Whitehall source said the plane would police “hot spots” that have been targeted by smugglers looking to get illegal migrants into the country.

It is hoped border officials can be alerted if suspicious boats are spotted, with ground teams deployed to intervene.

Europol, the European police agency, has identified 13 "migrant smuggling hotspots" in the UK which are being targeted by the criminals.

They include Orford Ness, the Suffolk village port which has a small ferry service and is used for fishing; Purfleet, which is 18 miles from London, and Whitstable, a small working harbour in Kent which is popular with tourists.

Migrants are rescued from a boat in the Mediterranean Sea earlier this monthCredit:
ARIS MESSINIS/AFP/Getty Images

Mr Hayes told the Telegraph: “The Coastguard performs vital work in saving lives in UK waters. This plane is painted in HM Coastguard colours and is equipped with HD and Forward Looking Infrared cameras.

“It will carry out search and rescue work, and useful information will be shared with other parts of Government. We will look at the results of the trial to see if there is a strong case to make it permanent.”

Anne Main, the Tory MP for St Albans, who revealed how exposed Britain’s coastal border was compared to other EU nations through questions to Parliament, gave a cautious welcome to the move.

Earlier in the year, she found that while UK Border Force had just three cutters, Italy had 600 boats deployed, Greece had 203 and Spain had 147.

Ms Main said: “What we previously uncovered was that our coastal defences appeared to be woefully underequipped.

“I do hope the government can come forward with sensible plans to beef up our defences. Planes may be part of the solution, but we need to be properly protected around our ports and coasts.

“People traffickers and drug smugglers will always look to take advantage of any weak spots around our coastline.”